The Mask that Transforms

Gerald was a sickly young man only being able to stand up for a few minutes without his lungs making his chest hurt. He had a special interest in history and loved searching the internet about special historical events. His favorite was on the Bubonic Plague also known as the black death. His strange fascination with the horrific event is more toward the efforts to stop it. It was inspiring to him the effort that people back then did to try and keep from getting sick be that by praying, eating certain herbs said to have magical powers, or turning to the doctors that wore the beaked masks. Of course, Gerald knew that the masks had more uses than just to look creepy, inside of the beak there were herbs that were meant to clear the air that the doctor breathed while helping patients to try and keep themselves from getting sick. Each one was made special for each doctor since they were made especially to fight against this disease so no mask looked exactly the same.

 Gerald loved looking at these different masks the most since many were still preserved and could be looked at online, it came to no surprise to his parents that when Gerald came down with an online news article about the local museum having a new display about plague doctor’s masks. On the first day that the display was open to the public, Gerald was there to see it along with his parents. To Gerald it was an amazing sight seeing those masks up close, one, in particular, was interesting since it had symbols in the beak that Gerald recognized as medieval alchemical symbols it seemed to contain multiple different kinds on either side of its beak. There was a sudden blaring sound as the museum's alarm went off. There was also the sound of gunfire as soon people were being held up by people in ski masks except for one person who wore a smiling theatrical mask and a crown on his head. After everyone had been brought into the same room as the medieval plague masks the theatrical masked man started to speak “Are all welcome to be joining me today for I am the great Herald of Joy Lupin.”

He then walked into the center of the room and opened his arms wide and then looked to his captives seemingly looking for applause and when he didn’t receive any he swung his arm over his mask and it changed into a frowning mask. “Oh, you injured me greatly hmm what should I do to solve this.” He then swung his arm over his mask again changing it back to a smiling mask. “Oh, I know you just simply don’t know me well I know how to solve that.” He then had his men start to lock the doors except for the one that he stood right in the entrance of and said. “I just need to make an example of you and if any of you survive you can just spread my name.” He then shut the doors and locked them with a loud clunk, the liquid could be heard being poured on the other side and then the masked man said. “Oh, isn’t it perfect, a room used to display a scene of the “Black Death” will be filled with black corpses. My art is just truly wonderful.”

A match could be heard being light and then after a brief moment, there was a loud puff as suddenly the room that they were in started to get extremely hot and smoke started to come from under the door and started to choke people. Gerald was in particular affected due to his weak lungs his parents quickly grabbed one of the masks from the wall since anything would have been better than breathing the smoke in the room. It was only by chance that they picked the mask that had those alchemical signs on which Gerald was very lucky as it started to glow. Gerald’s insides started to burn as he started to breathe through the mask as soon as the pain arrived it suddenly was gone and suddenly got replaced by what felt like electricity that made his body feel like it was overflowing with strength as Gerald was then able to stand up again feeling as if his lungs were cleaned out of any toxins. Gerald after feeling magically rejuvenated had a sudden thought in his mind telling him something he could do to save everyone.

Gerald then walked over to the door and touched it with his open palm and then suddenly the door started to shake and then suddenly burst into a spray of water which suffocated the fire nearby the door allowing everyone to run out of the burning and make it safely outside. It was like a dream for Gerald surreal in what had happened as he made it outside and decided to take a deep breath but as he did he felt a sharpness as if the fresh air was as bad as the smokey air in the burning building. He fell onto his knees and took off the mask and found that his lungs felt better then he could ever remember he looked around and saw that the police were here as well as a news truck. The people who he had just saved were already over by them telling them what had happened. Gerald then felt worried since they would definitely talk about him saving them and that might bring the attention of that psychotic actor Lupin towards Gerald or his parents since he had ruined the criminal's plans. Gerald looked then to the mask which had stopped glowing and decided to hide it in his bag. He might need this more than the museum and then he then gets up and makes his way toward everyone else starting his new life as a brand new Gerald or maybe something more only time can tell that.